Latest news with #RetailCrimeTaskforce
Edinburgh Reporter
18 hours ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Police Scotland's Retail Crime Taskforce hold first full team meeting
Police Scotland's Retail Crime Taskforce held their first full team meeting at an event in Dalmarnock today. The Taskforce was officially launched in April this year, following a £3 million funding allocation from the Scottish Government and since then Taskforce officers have been supporting local policing colleagues in various parts of the country to gather intelligence, conduct enforcement activity, and engage with retailers to enhance security and crime prevention measures in place. Following the recent appointments of Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Knight and Inspector Emma Wright to the Taskforce, the team got together to set out a clear direction for various pieces of proactive work due to take place throughout 2025 and 2026. Since its inception, the Retail Crime Taskforce has been involved in the establishment of an information-sharing protocol between Edinburgh city-centre retailers, Police Scotland, and the City of Edinburgh Council to more easily identify retail crime offenders and to make it more difficult for crimes such as shoplifting to occur. Taskforce officers have also played crucial roles in the arrests of individuals linked to crimes occurring in the Capital, Glasgow, Greenock, Dundee and the North East. Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Knight from the Retail Crime Taskforce, said: 'Our unit is very much still in its infancy, but it has already been directly involved in, or supported, vital enforcement or partnership engagement activity aimed at reducing the current rise in retail crime. 'Despite some early successes, we cannot and will not become complacent and our team meeting was an invaluable opportunity for the team to share ideas and discuss our strategic approach to tackling offences, such as shoplifting and the assault and intimidation of shop workers. 'The objective of the Taskforce could not be clearer. We must reduce retail crime and send a clear message to our communities, and those responsible for these offences, that such crimes will not be tolerated. 'Our work alongside divisional colleagues, key retail partners and other stakeholders is only just beginning, and we will be working tirelessly to bring retail crime offenders to justice, while at the same time assisting retailers identify ways in which they can improve current security and crime prevention approaches and make their premises an unattractive target for criminals.' Like this: Like Related
Scottish Sun
25-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
Inside bogus workman's ‘£100,000 heist' from popular Boots – with fears nearby Scots shops also raided
On repeated visits he stuffed a holdall with pricey perfumes, aftershaves and hair products LOOSE IN BOOTS Inside bogus workman's '£100,000 heist' from popular Boots – with fears nearby Scots shops also raided Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A BOGUS workman is believed to have nicked more than £100,000 in goods from Boots. The serial shoplifter raided a city centre store while posing as an engineer in hi-vis gear, sources said. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 A fake workman has been suspected of nicking more than £100k of goods from Boots Credit: Getty 3 The serial shoplifter posed as an engineer in hi-vis gear Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd 3 It's feared he may have targeted other shops on Sauchiehall Street Credit: Alamy On repeated visits he stuffed a holdall with pricey perfumes, aftershaves and hair products. And it is feared he may have looted other stores nearby in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow. A source explained: 'The guy was pretending to be an engineer and gained access several times, filling a holdall on each occasion. 'So far he has stolen expensive hairdryers, straighteners, perfume and aftershave. 'He has gone in disguised and got access to shops. Other ones have also been targeted but Boots has been the main victim. "It is feared the total could be over £100,000.' Boots bosses have confirmed they're in the process of informing cops about the thefts, which are thought to have taken place over May and June. A spokesperson added: 'We can't comment further as it is now a police matter.' Earlier this year force chiefs revealed they'd set up a unit to clamp down on shoplifting backed by £3million from the Scottish Government. The 'harassment and intimidation' of store staff was also slammed at the Retail Crime Taskforce's launch in March. Heartbreaking Old Firm march Grieving parents call for knife crime action in Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs said: 'There is no justification for retail crime and the theft of goods from stores, or the harassment and intimidation of employees is certainly not victimless. 'When such offences take place, it can have a significant impact on retail workers, who then feel unsafe at their place of work. This is not acceptable. 'The establishment of the Retail Crime Taskforce demonstrates our commitment to working alongside key partners and the retail sector to both prevent retail crime occurring, but to conduct thorough and professional enforcement activity to identify those responsible whenever it does arise.' Police Scotland has been contacted for comment.
Edinburgh Reporter
13-06-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Information-sharing initiative launched to tackle city centre crime
An information-sharing scheme between city-centre stores in Edinburgh is underway as part of ongoing work supported by Police Scotland's Retail Crime Taskforce. As a result of funding from Essential Edinburgh, 52 stores on Princes Street, St James Quarter and the surrounding areas have been provided with radios as part of the Shopwatch initiative so that they can use to communicate with other businesses whenever a crime or suspicious activity takes place on their premises. The City of Edinburgh Council CCTV team have also been provided with a radio and will monitor transmissions and follow individuals believed to be involved in retail crime on the city centre's CCTV network. They will then communicate information to Edinburgh officers, including those within the Taskforce, so they can more quickly respond to ongoing incidents. Since Shopwatch began in April, eight people have been reported to the Fiscal, having been arrested following information shared between stores, the CCTV team, and Edinburgh Division officers. Five of these individuals were charged in connection with shoplifting offences, while another was charged for an assault. Superintendent Paul Gillespie, who leads on Acquisitive Crime for Edinburgh, said: 'When the Retail Crime Taskforce was launched earlier this year, it was made clear that all opportunities to work with retailers and key partners would be exploited to actively target those responsible for shoplifting and other retail offences. 'Shopwatch underlines our commitment to collaboration and finding new approaches that better equip businesses to prevent crime happening, while also enhancing our ability to respond when an incident does arise. 'I am grateful to Essential Edinburgh for the financial support they have provided for this scheme and have been extremely encouraged by how readily the businesses involved have embraced the concept of working together with one another, and with ourselves, and the City of Edinburgh Council, to tackle shoplifting. 'We will continue to explore all opportunities, both alongside the Retail Crime Taskforce, and through divisional business to keep addressing shoplifting and bringing those responsible to account.' Grant Stewart, who is Senior Operations Manager for Essential Edinburgh, added: 'We have had a real focus on tackling shoplifting through our successful Check Out system which also sees information sharing about known retail crime in real time. 'This latest scheme adds on to that protection for our members in tackling criminal activity. We are delighted to be partnering our colleagues in Police Scotland and Apex radios on this, and look forward to continuing to build on that, working together.' Like this: Like Related
